Goals and Dreams
by Glowing-Pearl
Summary: Everyone has goals. Everyone has dreams. This particular girl and this particular boy both have dreams involving friends, family, and Pokemon. Will their goals and dreams be fulfilled? This is a Pearlshipping fanfic.
1. Prologue

Um, hi. This is my next fanfic, so I hope you like it. I'll try my best to update regularly. This particular story takes place before Dawn meets Ash and Brock. Basically, this is my own little version of the Sinnoh Saga. I'm planning on making this fic a pretty long one, so wish me luck.

**DISCLAIMER: I DON"T OWN POKEMON OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT!!!**

PROLOGUE

Sparkling, golden lights colors the frosty atmosphere, as the sun shimmers brightly upon the gleaming town of Twinleaf. The glistening lights intensify as it shines vibrantly onto a particular small, white house. This dwelling happens to shelter two certain people. One of them is the mother of the family who keeps maintenance in the household as well as gives advice to the other member of the abode. She is very much admired by her other family member, for she was the one that succeeded in winning countless amounts of Pokemon contests. These contest victories ultimately led her to becoming famous throughout the Sinnoh Region. Numerous quantities of colorful, glittering ribbons hang onto a firm, solid wall as well as a magnificent trophy inside a burnished trophy casing. These were symbols of how the mother came to be the Pokemon coordinator in which many have envied. Many others have been seeking the prize that the mother has achieved…to be the top coordinator. One of those seekers happens to be living with the mother.

This brings us to the second member that the house provides for. The second member goes by the name Dawn. Dawn is the daughter of the Sinnoh top coordinator. This girl is always full of energy as she dreams of one day being a number one coordinator just like her triumphant mother. Dawn has long blue hair resembling her mother's as well as sapphire colored eyes that twinkles as light reflects upon it. She lives on the top floor of the house in which the two reside in. Her room is filled with everything that has to do with Pokemon including the different kinds of Pokemon to the latest stats in which Pokemon contests and battles were held all over the world.

As the morning breeze rushes through the air, bird Pokemon everywhere start to sing harmoniously and delicately waking up the local residents in the peaceful town. One of which happens to be Dawn as she leaps from her small bed and opens the window. She stares out into the sky as she witnesses all of the flying, majestic Pokemon gliding through the air as they continue to chant their wonderful song. She immediately proceeds to her restroom to brush her teeth and comb her hair. She was livelier than she typically was during the mornings, for this particular day happens to be an exciting one. It is the day that Dawn begins her journey through the road of difficulty, hindrance, and obstruction to reach her ultimate goal of becoming a top coordinator. She will meet many friends as well as rivals. She will encounter many different kinds of Pokemon. She will have her successes, and she will have her failures. But, no matter what, she needs to keep pressing onward in order to fulfill her dream.

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Okay, that was a sort of a prologue to what I'm going to be featuring onto this story. Next chapter will be pretty much the beginning. Thank you! 


	2. The Beginning

CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING

The air filling the town of Twinleaf is full of quietness and tranquility as Dawn skips happily down the stairs to the kitchen area where her mother happens to be cooking up an appetizing breakfast. Dawn's mother gives the young, cheery girl a blissful smile as Dawn continues to skip joyfully towards the dining table.

"Morning, honey." greets Dawn's mom setting a plate of French toast, sausages, bacon, eggs, and hash browns on top of the dining table. Dawn smiles at the amounts of scrumptious food her mother has specially prepared for.

"This looks great, Mom!" exclaims Dawn as she starts to consume the delicious food. As she eats, her mom decides to ask her a couple of questions about her plans of travel during her Pokemon journey.

"So, have you decided on which Pokemon you want to start out with before you begin your quest?" inquired Dawn's mother.

Dawn forces a mouthful of food down her throat as she answers, "Well, I haven't decided yet. I really like all of them. I'm having a really hard time choosing between them."

"It's alright, Dawn." assures her mother. "You'll know which one to get when you get there. Anyway, I have your backpack ready over by the door. You'll need to bring all of the essentials if you are going to survive traveling across the region."

Dawn looks over to the front door and immediately starts to mope a little. "Mom! How am I going to fit all of my other stuff in that small thing?!?"

"You're not going to pack that much." replies Dawn's mom.

"Why not." asks Dawn.

"Trust me," answers her mother. "If you plan on being a smart traveler, that little pack is all you need. You don't need anything else, but that backpack and the things I packed in it for you."

"Okay." says Dawn as she finishes her meal.

"Well, I guess you better get going to Professor Rowan's laboratory to get your Pokemon." suggests Dawn's mother.

Dawn leaps from her seat and scampers to her backpack. "Alright, Mom! I'll see you later!" hollers Dawn as she opens the door.

"Dawn, wait!" cries the mother. "I have to give you something."

"What is it?" questions Dawn as she observes her mother take something from out of her apron pocket.

"It's one of my ribbons." answers Dawn's mom.

"Really?" exclaims Dawn. "Why are you giving it to me, Mom?"

"Well," starts her mother. "This ribbon was the first ribbon I won when I first started my Pokemon journey as a coordinator." She closes her eyes as memories of her glorious past races through her head. She continues, "Dawn, I want you to keep it for good luck in all of your contests." She hands the ribbon to Dawn.

Dawn gazed at it for a small while before accepting it. She, then, runs to her mother and hugs her. "Thanks, Mom." I'll make sure I take good care of it." And with that, Dawn left for the door.

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Sorry, it probably seems like I am kind of copying the anime show. It will change eventually. Just keep reading! If anyone has any suggestions for improvement, please feel free to notify me. 


	3. Sandgem Town

CHAPTER 2: SANDGEM TOWN

"Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, Honey! Don't forget to call me!"

"I won't, Mom! See ya!" Dawn waves goodbye to her mother as she pedals down the path through a small forest where she will make her way towards an area known as Sandgem town. As she walks through the forest, she becomes amazed at the sight of all the different kinds of wild pokemon scampering and flying throughout the forest. Anticipation soon strikes her brain as Dawn continues to run as quickly as she could to Professor Rowan's laboratory.

"_I can't wait to get my first Pokemon!" _thought Dawn racing down the old, dirt path leading to her destination. _"I wonder which Pokemon I should get: Piplup, Chimchar, or Turtwig…Oh, I can't choose!"_

It took about half an hour or so before Dawn finally reached the entrance to Sandgem town. To her, it did not seem too different from her hometown of Twinleaf. She stops and takes out a small object from her pack. It is a small map of the area on Sandgem town.

"Okay," Dawn starts to speak. "According to this map, it looks like Professor Rowan's lab is…" Dawn stops talking to see that she could not interpret the map. "Um…how do you read this thing? Am I holding it right?" She begins to hold it from side to side tilting it from left to right trying her best to understand the locations and symbols on the map. However, doing so only led to more confusion and perplexity as Dawn continues to fumble around throughout Sandgem town.

I know. This chapter turned out pretty short. Do not worry, for I will start updating more frequently now. Anyway, it seems that Dawn has lost her way. How do you think she will find the laboratory?


	4. Ash Starts the Sinnoh League

Okay, before we begin, I want to deeply apologize to all of the readers out there for the late update. I usually update much more frequently, but I had recently lost my connection to the internet (unknown reason), so I was unable to go online and do anything with the fics. The good news is that I got the connection back somehow and now I am ready to start with the fanfics again. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience, and I thank you all for your patience. So, anyway, introducing chapter 3!

CHAPTER THREE: ASH STARTS THE SINNOH LEAGUE

"Excuse me, Sir. Can you please tell me directions to get to Sandgem Town? I need to get to Professor Rowan's lab to get my aipom's pokeball."

"Sandgem Town? Well, it's just over that hill right there. Professor Rowan's laboratory is on the far side of the town."

"Really? Thank you, Sir."

"You're welcome! Goodbye!" The old man walked off.

We join Ash as he is about to start his quest in the Sinnoh League. Right now, he is on his way to Sandgem Town to meet Professor Rowan where he will obtain his aipom's pokeball, so they can start their adventure.

Ash continued to walk towards Sandgem Town with Aipom and Pikachu on his shoulders. "You know," Ash started to say. "I wonder what new pokemon we'll see in this region. I also wonder what new people I will meet while I'm here. I've been traveling with my friends for a long time, so it's going to be weird traveling alone."

Pikachu immediately rubbed his trainer's cheeks as he cried out, "Pika! Pika!"

Ash's face changed into a face of confidence as he said, "You're right, Pikachu! I'm not alone. I have you and Aipom with me! I'll also have the other pokemon I catch here in Sinnoh! Together, we'll win all eight badges and conquer the Sinnoh Region!" As they finally reached Sandgem Town, Ash's mind suddenly filled with thoughts of the new kinds of pokemon he will catch, the gym leaders that he will defeat (if he defeats them), and his triumph over the Sinnoh League. It wasn't too long before Ash started to burst with excitement. "I can't wait any longer! I'm running the rest of the way to Professor Rowan's lab!" And with that, Ash bolted for the far side of Sandgem with Aipom and Pikachu hanging on for dear life.

"Pika!" cried out Pikachu as he continued to clutch Ash's shoulders.

Ash looked at Pikachu as he replied, "There's no way I'm slowing down now, Pikachu! The Sinnoh Region is waiti-AAAHH!!!" Before Ash could finish, he made contact with an unknown object sending him, Pikachu, Aipom, and a stranger flying through the air and plummeting towards the ground."

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Well, that's chapter 3. What do you think? Next chapter will be up soon. If you want longer chapters, just ask. Oh, and I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. 


	5. Ash Meets Dawn

Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? Okay, here is chapter 4. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the stranger from the end of chapter 3 is Dawn.

CHAPTER FOUR: ASH MEETS DAWN

WARNING: THE PEARLSHIPPING MOMENTS START HERE!

Ash and company all crashed straight towards the dirt road. They all lay there stunned for a second before Dawn started to get up. As she slowly started to get up, the first thing she looked at was her bike. As she slowly walked over to it, she yelled, "That hurt! Why don't watch where you're going!"

Ash, by now, had gotten up as well and ran over to Dawn. "Sorry, I didn't watch where I was going. I hope you aren't hurt or anything." Ash said in a worried tone. Dawn picked up her bike and gave a loud groan when she noticed that one of the tires had popped amidst the fall. "Just Great!" she cried out still looking at her bike. "My tire is flat! I'll have to walk to Professor Rowan's lab now!"

Ash's face perked up, "Did you say Professor Rowan? Hey, I'm going there too. Maybe we can go there together, and I'll find a way to get your tire fixed."

Dawn continued to stare at her bike. "No thanks! I don't need your help! I can take care of this myself!"

"Come on!" complained Ash. "You haven't even looked at me yet. There's got to be some way I can make it up to you. Are you sure you don't want me to help you get that tire fixed when we get to the lab?"

Dawn turned to look at Ash. She was about to reply with something mean and nasty, but was drawn back by Ash's looks. Dawn's mood immediately changed from anger to a state of infatuation. _"__He is cute!" _Dawn thought._ "__I can't believe I was yelling at HIM the whole time!__ I __have to accept his offer this time!" _Dawn started to reply but was interrupted by Ash.

"Fine. I see you don't need my help." Ash stated. "Come on Pikachu. Come on Aipom. Let's go." Ash, then, continued on with his walk to Professor Rowan's lab.

Dawn stared at Ash as he walks off. _"There goes my chance with that guy__." _Dawn thought._ "__Wait__, this may be my only chance to ever see him. I got to go and accept his offer. Besides, I don't even know the way to Professor Rowan's lab. Going with this guy will solve that problem.__"_Dawn, then, ran as fast as she could to reach Ash as she yelled, "Hey! I changed my mind!"

Ash, Aipom, and Pikachu all stopped to look back as they witnessed Dawn running towards them with amazing speed. It wasn't long before Dawn reached Ash. "Hey, I decided that I would take up on your offer after all." said Dawn breathing heavily. A few moments passed before Dawn regained her breath. She extended her hand out as she continued, "My name is Dawn."

Ash looked at her hand and extended his out as well as he introduced himself. "And my name's Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Dawn looked down and blushed as she watched her hand meet with Ash's hand for a friendly handshake.

"Hey Dawn." said Ash. "Are you feeling okay? You're cheeks look a bit red."

But that question only made Dawn's face burn up even more as she replied, "Oh its nothing. It's just hot outside, that's all."

"Seems like normal temperature to me." Ash replied confused.

"Don't worry about it, Ash." stated Dawn. "Let's just get to Professor Rowan's lab, okay?"

"Okay." replied Ash.

So, the four of them all started down the road talking with each other as they walked. "Wow! I can't believe how much you have traveled Ash! You must have lots of pokemon! Have you been traveling alone that whole time?"

"No." replied Ash. "I've been traveling around with my best friends. Let's see. There's Misty, she's the gym leader in Curulean city. There's Brock, he's gym leader of the Pewter City gym. There's Tracey, he's working with Professor Oak back in Pallet. There's May, she's a pokemon coordinator in Jhoto right now. And there's her brother, Max, he's in the Hoenn region preparing to become a pokemon trainer."

"Wow, you sure know a lot of people, Ash." said Dawn in amazement.

"I guess." replied Ash.

"So, um, they are all just friends, right? Nothing more?" questioned Dawn nervously.

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"Well, you aren't boyfriends with Misty or May are you?" asked Dawn her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson.

Ash turned red at this question as he answered, "No! Of course not! We are all just friends!"

"_Good_." thought Dawn as she breathed a huge sigh of relief. _"Then I still have a chance."_

Dawn continued thinking about Ash but was interrupted by his voice. "Dawn, look out!" Dawn came to her senses as she watched Ash, Aipom, and Pikachu move all the way towards the side of the road. It was then that she realized that a car was headed straight for her! "Move, Dawn!" cried Ash, but Dawn was in too much shock to move a muscle. She just stood there watching as the car sped up getting closer to her. "Dawn!" yelled Ash as he ran towards her knocking her off to the side of the road. Then, all went black for Ash as a thump was heard, and Dawn yelling Ash's name.

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Well, that's the end of chapter 4. Chapter 5 will be up soon so until then, see you! By the way, did anyone notice that Dawn forgot to bring her bike with her when she tried to catch up to Ash? Just letting you know. Oh, and if anyone has any suggestions concerning grammar or the story itself, please do not hesitate to let me know. 


	6. Thank You, Growlithe!

Hey, everyone! Thank you for the reviews. I'm really starting to enjoy writing this story! I hope it goes well. Here is the next chapter. Oh, and I hope the title isn't too obvious about what happened to Ash.

CHAPTER 5: THANK YOU, GROWLITHE!

"Ash!" cried Dawn as she looked onto the road. She expected Ash to be laying there from the collision with him and the car. But, Ash wasn't there. "Where are you?!? Ash! Say something!"

"I'm right here." replied a familiar voice.

Dawn turned around to see Ash sitting with a dog-like pokemon on the grass behind her. "Ash!" yelled Dawn as she ran over to him. She hugged him before he had a chance to react. "I'm so glad you're safe! I thought you got run over by that car." She began to squeeze him even tighter as relief and happiness took her over.

Ash, on the other hand, was beginning to lose his breath. "Um, Dawn." Ash managed to say. "I can't breathe. Maybe you could go easy on the hugs?"

Dawn realized what she was doing and immediately stood back revealing a slight blush in the process. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Ash replied. He, then, began to take notice of the creature beside him. It was a pokemon. It looked somewhat like a dog. It had red and white fur with black stripes. Its tongue hung out as it breathed calmly while staring into Ash's face. Ash realized what pokemon this was, "Hey! It's a growlithe!"

"A growlithe? What's that?" questioned Dawn.

Just then, another familiar voice was heard. "It's a puppy pokemon with the ability to have a strong sense of smell. My growlithe here is a police pokemon and it is very loyal, brave, and trustworthy."

"Hey, it's Officer Jenny!" cried Ash.

"Wow, Growlithe is amazing!" remarked Dawn.

Officer Jenny replied, "I saw the whole scene with you and that car. You kids need to be more careful. Standing in the path of an oncoming car is very dangerous. But, I'll let you go this time since I know you were actually trying to save her. I thought it was very cute how you went on to save your girlfriend even at the expense of your own life!"

Ash and Dawn just blushed when Officer Jenny mentioned the term "girlfriend".

"Um, Officer Jenny, Dawn isn't my girlfriend." replied Ash. Those words from Ash just placed a sting of pain into Dawn's heart.

"Really?!?" cried Jenny. "I thought she was. You two would look very cute together!" Ash just continued to sweat drop as he nervously tried to change the subject.

"So," Ash started. "How did I end up on the side of the road, anyway?"

"Oh, it was this growlithe that saved you from being hit by that car." stated Officer Jenny.

"Really?" asked Ash. "Well, thanks Growlithe!"

"Growlithe!" it replied as it ran back to its master. Officer Jenny pat Growlithe, and then said, "I've got to get going now. I need to catch up with that car that almost ran into you and teach him a lesson about reckless driving. You kids stay safe!" And with that, Officer Jenny, along with Growlithe, ran towards the direction in which the car has gone.

"See you, Officer!" yelled Ash as he waved goodbye. He, then, turned to Dawn. "That was Officer Jenny." He explained. "She's the one that keeps order and peace around here."

"Oh." replied Dawn. She looked at Ash again taking notice of his charm. It wasn't long before she pulled Ash into another close embrace.

Ash was trying his best to breathe as he nervously said "Dawn, don't worry. I'm not hurt or anything." Dawn continued to keep hugging him.

She, then, looked up to his chocolately, brown eyes and spoke, "Sorry. It's just that, I'm so glad that you are okay. That you weren't hit by that car. If you did get run over, I would have never forgiven myself."

"But it wasn't your fault." said Ash.

"Yes, it was." replied Dawn. "I could've gotten off of the road when I had the chance. You pushed me to the side to save me but putting yourself at risk while doing it. I was just lucky that Officer Jenny was here."

"Hey, Dawn. Don't sweat it." answered Ash. "I know you were just scared stiff. You don't have to worry. Let's just get on to Professor Rowan's lab, okay?"

Dawn let go of Ash. "Okay." she said. _"__Ash is so nice,__ caring__, and forgiving__. I never thought that a boy could ever be so much like this. All the other guys I know always tease me. I know, now, that I've __really __fallen in love with him. Now I jus__t got to find a way to tell him__."_

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Well, what do you think of it so far? Looks like Ash survived. Good thing. Anyway, next chapter will be up soon so keep reading. I'm kinda in the middle of a writer's block (I can't think of anything!) If you can, please give me some ideas that may help me with this story. I would appreciate it (I may or may not use them, however). Until next time! 


	7. Dawn's Predicament

No worries, everyone! I'm alive! Okay, before we begin, I want to deeply apologize to anyone out there that was waiting for me to continue my story. I was just in the midst of a huge writer's block plus I was also extremely busy lately, so I didn't have time to write. Anyway, the important thing is that I finally updated right? Okay, on with chapter 6!

CHAPTER 6: DAWN'S PREDICAMENT

We join Ash and Dawn as they get on their way towards Professor Rowan's lab. It didn't take too long before Ash took notice of their destination. "Look, Dawn!" cried Ash. "There's Professor Rowan's lab!"

"Great!" replied Dawn. "Now I can finally get my pokemon!"

"Yeah, but, have you decided on which one your planning on getting?" questioned Ash.

"Uh…no. I figured that I would know which one to get once I see them in person, you know?" said Dawn.

"Oh, I guess you could do that." answered Ash.

As they entered through the front door of the laboratory, they both noticed that there were many people running about. They all seemed to be cleaning up papers, sweeping floors, and stacking books onto shelves. Aipom and Pikachu both made their way to a nearby empty couch.

"Hey! Aipom! Pikachu! Where you two going?!?" cried Ash. Both Aipom and Pikachu didn't answer as they both fell asleep onto the soft couch.

Ash just looked at them and smiled. "We've all had a pretty tough day. You guys take your rest." Then, Ash turned his attention towards the people who were still running around cleaning up the place. "They're probably the pokemon researchers that work here." said Ash as he and Dawn made their way towards one of them. "Excuse me, sir?" asked Ash. "Is Professor Rowan here right now?"

The busy researcher turned to look at Ash. "Professor Rowan?" asked the researcher. "Well, he isn't here right now, but we're expecting him to come back any minute now, so we are all cleaning this place up."

"Okay." replied Ash as he turned to Dawn. "Dawn, I guess we'll have to wait for the professor to show up."

The researcher, then, spoke again, "Hey, you're Dawn?"

Dawn nodded. "Then you must be here for your pokemon!" The researcher cried. "I'm terribly sorry, but you will still have to wait until the professor gets back. Hey, while you two kids are waiting, do you think you could help out with the cleaning around here? We could use the help."

Ash thought for a second before answering, "Sure, we'll help out."

"What?!?" exclaimed Dawn. "But Ash, do we have too? I'm too tired."

"Why not?" asked Ash. "It'll give us something to do while we wait. Plus, these guys could use the help. I say, let's help clean up." And with that, Ash immediately grabbed a broom and started sweeping the entire floor.

"I guess you're right." replied Dawn as she picked up a couple of books that had been lying on the ground. As she made her way towards one of the shelves, she noticed three figures standing on top of a counter in the center of the room. To her surprise, they were the starter pokemon that she had been having trouble choosing between. Her mood transformed into a feeling of happiness as she watched Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup all consume their food from small bowls. Her eyes sparkled as she continued to stare at them still deciding which to pick.

It took a while before Ash noticed Dawn's happy state. He, then, asked, "Hey Dawn, why are you looking like that? Is something wrong?" Dawn simply shook her head as one of the pokemon researchers made his way towards Ash.

"Nothing's wrong with your friend." the researcher told him. "She just seems to be taking a liking to these pokemon here. Has she decided on which one she wanted?"

Ash just shook his head. "No, and it doesn't look like she will be making her mind up anytime soon."

"I'll bet the professor can help her with that." The researcher spoke.

"Help her with what?" asked Professor Rowan from out of nowhere.

Both Ash and the researcher turned around in shock. "Professor Rowan!?!" cried the researcher.

"Yes, it's me." replied the professor. "Why are you screaming my name across the whole laboratory?"

"Uh, no reason, sir." answered the researcher nervously. "It's just a surprise to see you, here."

"Why would it be a surprise?" questioned Professor Rowan. "This laboratory is my property, right?"

The researcher just replied, "Of course, sir. My mistake." And with that, the researcher went back to his work. It was then, that the professor began to notice the two kids that he wasn't familiar with. He turned to Ash.

"And you are?" asked the professor.

Ash was a bit hesitant as he spoke, "Uh, my name is Ash, sir. And that girl over there is Dawn. She's here to get her starter pokemon. I'm just here to get my Aipom's pokeball." Ash pointed at his aipom who was still asleep along with Pikachu on the couch. "Oh, and I hope you don't mind Pikachu and Aipom sleeping on your couch."

"I see. Well, of course I don't mind." replied Professor Rowan. He, then, took a look at Dawn. "Well, has she decided on the pokemon that she wanted, yet?"

"I'm afraid not, sir." answered Ash. "You see, Dawn can't choose between the three. "

"Hmm." pondered the professor. "Well, let's see how I can help with that."

**MEANWHILE…**

Just outside of the lab, lay three villainous thieves who have been following Ash and Dawn the whole way towards the lab. They were hiding behind a bush as they began to discuss their next plan to capture Pikachu. These three criminals went by the names of Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"Okay, guys." said the cat-like pokemon. "Now's our chance to swipe Pikachu and give him to the boss."

"What's the plan, Meowth?" questioned James.

Meowth took a deep breath before explaining, "Well, we know that the twerp is in that lab, right?"

"Right." both Jessie and James agreed.

Meowth continued, "Well, I think we should dig us a hole right in front of the front door, so when the twerp comes out, he'll fall right in it. That is when we grab Pikachu and make our getaway. Pretty good plan, huh?"

"I guess," said James. "But how do we know the twerp is going to come out and not just some other person we don't know."

"There's no reason that the researchers in there would come out. The twerp is on a journey. He has to come out. And he'll come out first." explained Meowth.

"I say we just go in there and just grab it!" interrupted Jessie.

"But," replied James. "That never has worked in the past has it?"

"Neither has digging holes." answered Jessie.

"Quiet!" cried Meowth. "Let's just stick with my plan, okay?"

"Alright." replied Jessie and James.

**BACK TO THE LABORATORY…**

"Why do I have to take this, Professor?" asked Dawn.

"This method has been thoroughly looked upon and has been designed by the best of professors to help you determine which type of pokemon best suits you." answered Professor Rowan.

"Are you sure this is going to work Professor?" questioned Ash.

"Of course I'm sure." replied the professor. "Now, Dawn. I want you to look at each of these three pokemon directly in the eyes. First start with Turtwig."

Dawn did as she was told. Professor Rowan began speaking again,"This method is actually quite simple. After Dawn looks at the pokemon in the eyes, the pokemon will react in a negative or positive way. It is that reaction that will determine which pokemon she should have. Based on their reactions, I will calculate which pokemon will best suit her. Don't worry, I have done this many times before, and every trainer that has done this has been very satisfied."

Dawn continued to stare at the Turtwig straight in the eyes as they all continued to wait to see how the grass pokemon will react.

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Okay, so that's the end of chapter 6. On to chapter 7! Team Rocket is up to no good again... Oh, and I'll introduce Brock in the next chapter, too. Until then, see ya! 


	8. Team Rocket's Wrath

Okay, here is Chapter 7. I know I said that Brock will be introduced, but I decided, instead, to do it in the next chapter, so I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Anyway, Team Rocket is introduced here, so here you enjoy!

CHAPTER 7: TEAM ROCKET'S WRATH

Ash, Dawn, and Professor Rowan continued to wait for Turtwig to make its move. The Turtwig was staring right back at Dawn not making any sudden moves. The three of them kept waiting and waiting. It seemed like forever before Turtwig was going to make any sort of reaction, and Dawn was starting to lose her patience. Pretty soon, it got to the point when Dawn couldn't wait anymore, so she asked Professor Rowan, "Um, Professor? Why won't this Turtwig do anything?"

Professor Rowan was a little confused himself, "I'm not exactly sure for certain, but maybe if we do this outside, the pokemon will react faster since they are in a better environment."

**MEANWHILE…**

Jessie and James were peering through the lab window spying on Ash and the gang. "James, look! Pikachu is right there on that couch!" pointed out Jessie.

"Yes," replied James. "And so is that twerp's aipom and the whole Sinnoh starter set!"

"I can't wait until we finally steal them and present them to the boss!"

"He'll be so happy that he'll promote us and give us raises!"

They both started to laugh with anticipation for their scheme to take effect. Meowth, then, began to say something, "Hey, guys. I was looking around through my super scope binoculars, and there's some bike over there in the middle of the road. It doesn't seem to belong to anybody. There isn't anyone around it, and no one is coming over there to pick it up."

"Great, Meowth. What's your point?" asked Jessie sarcastically. "What does a bike matter to Team Rocket?"

"My point is," replied Meowth. "Since that bike seems to have no owner, we can just take it and sell it to a local bike shop. That bike looks pretty new, and it's got to be worth something. That way, with the money we make from it, we can go to a restaurant and get an all-you-can-eat buffet! I haven't eaten anything decent all week, so that bike is our ticket to full tummies!"

Jessie's mood began to lighten up, "I like the way you think, Meowth!!! Let's go get that bike!"

James began to interrupt, "Guys, this sounds like a great plan and all, but what if that bike does belong to someone else? We could be stealing someone else's childhood treasure! I remember when I was a young lad; I had a bike of my own. It was the finest of its kind and I always love to ride it through the park."

Jessie spoke, "What are you talking about?!? We've been stealing things for so long, it's not even funny!!! Besides, we're Team Rocket! We don't play nice and fair. We just get what we want, when we want it. A girl's got to eat plenty to keep her beautiful and youthful appearance!"

Meowth agreed, "Yeah, and I want that buffet!"

James just gave in, "Alright, whatever."

"Good James," replied Jessie. "Now I want you to go get that bike for us, okay?"

James was shocked, "ME?!?"

"Yes, James. Meowth isn't strong enough to handle that bike himself,a nd I'm just too beautiful to do such filthy work. Get that bike while Meowth and I go steal those pokemon."

"Oh, alright." And off James went to retrieve the bike.

**BACK WITH ASH AND THE GANG…**

"Just let me wake Pikachu and Aipom up, okay?" said Ash.

"Okay, Ash." replied Dawn.

Ash walked over to the couch where Pikachu and Aipom continued to sleep. He gave Pikachu a little tug. "Pikachu, wake up." Pikachu opened his eyes to see Ash staring straight at him. "You awake, Pikachu?" asked Ash. "Have a nice rest?" Pikachu jumped onto his trainer's shoulder and answered, "Pika!" Ash went over to Aipom a nudged her as well. "Wake up, Aipom." Aipom also woke up to see Ash. "Have a good rest, Aipom?" Aipom happily nodded as she climbed onto Ash's other shoulder.

"Alright, we're all set, Dawn." said Ash as he gave her a wink and a thumbs up.

Dawn blushed a little before she said, "Ok, Ash, let's go."

**MEANWHILE WITH JESSIE AND MEOWTH…**

"Hurry! Hurry!" cried Jessie. "The twerps are coming!!!"

"Okay, okay! Just let me add a few more finishing touches!" said Meowth. "There, I'm done!"

"Good, now get back here behind this bush; they're coming out the door right now!"

"Okay!" replied Meowth as he dove into the bushes.

As Ash, Dawn, the professor, and all the pokemon head out the front door, they all noticed the fresh air and relaxing wind pass through environment. Ash took a deep breath. "Just smell that fresh air. I never noticed how Sandgem Town has such nice, clean-AAAAH!!!" Ash had no time to finish his sentence, for he, Dawn, Professor Rowan, and all of the pokemon were caught by surprise by a rather large pitfall trap. As they hit the bottom, familiar voices were heard from the top.

"Prepare for trouble; you might as well quit!" said Jessie.

"Make it double; you're in a pit!" cried Meowth imitating James

"An evil as old as the galaxy!"

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny! Meowth, that's me!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"Meowth!"

"Wherever there's peace in the universe,"

"Team Rocket will be there,"

"TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE!"

"Wobbuffet!"

(A/N: I realize this is not the motto from the Diamond and Pearl episodes. That's because I'm planning to use that motto in future chapters after Team Rocket comes up with that new motto.)

"No! Not Team Rocket guys, again!" cried out Ash.

"Team Rocket?" questioned Dawn.

"They're these group of bad guys that steal other people's pokemon! They've been after my Pikachu, and they never quit!" explained Ash. "Team Rocket, let us out of here, now!"

"Now, why would we do that?" asked Jessie. "The reason we dug this hole was for you to fall in it, and stay there!"

"But not Pikachu!" cried Meowth as he prepared a robotic, hand-shaped machine. "He's coming with us!" Soon, the mechanical hand extended and grabbed Pikachu placing him in a large, electric-proof glass container.

"Pikachu, no!" cried Ash.

"We aren't done, yet!" yelled Meowth as he and Jessie both grabbed more robotic hand machines. The hands grabbed the turtwig, chimchar, piplup, and Ash's aipom, and they all ended up the same as Pikachu-in glass jars.

Jessie and Meowth both gave a menacing laugh, "HAHAHAHA! Now that we've got your pokemon, it's time to make our getaway!" The two of them waited as a huge, meowth-shaped balloon flew across the sky making its way towards Jessie and Meowth. As the balloon landed in front of them, a voice was heard from the distance.

"Hey, Jessie! Meowth! I got the bike!" It was James running towards them with the bike in hand. When James finally reached them he said, "Hey, Jessie, I got the bike that we're going to sell."

Dawn immediately took notice of her property. "Hey! That's my bike, Team Rocket! Give it back!" she shouted.

They just ignored her. "Again with the pointless commands that you give us." replied Jessie. "You kids will never learn that we get what we want whenever we want it!"

"Why'd you forget your bike, Dawn?" asked Ash.

Dawn just sweat dropped, "I don't know. I guess I just forgot about it because I was thinking of how cute you looked!" replied Dawn.

"ME?!?" answered Ash in shock.

Dawn realized what she said and immediately tried to change her answer, "I-I m-mean how cute your PIKACHU looked!" Dawn started to blush a fierce crimson red.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief, "Whew. For a second there I thought you really meant that, Dawn."

"If only you knew, Ash." thought Dawn.

"Well, now that Team Rocket has your pokemon and your bike, we'll be on our way!" cried Jessie.

"Team Rocket!' cried Ash. "STOOOP!!!"

Team Rocket ignored him and entered their balloon to make their escape. "We'll see you later, loser!" taunted Meowth. The three began to laugh, but stopped when they saw something flying towards them from the distance.

"Hey, what's that?" asked James.

"And why is it heading straight for us?!?" asked Meowth as he began to panic.

"It looks like some sort of pokemon." replied Jessie. She was right, for a skarmory was headed straight towards them. The flying-steel pokemon screeched as it charged full power into the Meowth balloon causing it and Team Rocket to fall helplessly back towards the ground.

* * *

Well, that's it for chapter 7. Hope you enjoyed. I'll also be glad to take any suggestions or ideas concerning any aspects of the story if you would like. 


	9. A Friend's Help

Yeah, after 7-8 months, I finally continue this story XD

CHAPTER 8 A Friend's Help

"BOOM!" Flocks of starly and pidgey flew away from the area of which Team Rocket's balloon had crashed. Team Rocket seemed a bit dazed as they laid there waiting for the smoke to clear from the explosion.

"What just happened?" asked Jessie as she slowly got up.

"It seems as though that skarmory had a grudge against us." said James as he slowly got up as well

"Either that or its got anger issues." said Meowth in a reluctant tone as he rubbed his head. Just then, a huge figure appeared before the cat-like Pokemon. "Uh…guys….we may have a problem."

**Meanwhile…**

"Hey Ash, you hear that?" asked Dawn.

"Yeah, it sounded like something crashed into the forest!" cried Ash as he started to try to climb from the pitfall.

"What do you think it was?" questioned Dawn as she began to enter into a state of worry.

"I don't know, but I'm not just gonna sit here, and listen to what's going on." remarked Ash as he continued his attempts to climb out.

"I hope they aren't planning on trying to poach the Pokemon in the forest. That explosion we heard could've been something like a bomb!" exclaimed the Professor. Ash and Dawn immediately put on a face of shock at the realization, but before they had any time to say anything back, a truck had pulled over just above them. Ash continued to listen as he heard a set of footsteps climb out of the said truck.

"Hey, Ash! I'm throwing you a rope! Grab on to it!" cried the person with the footsteps. The voice immediately made Ash realize who it possibly could be.

"Brock?!" called out Ash in the most surprised of tones. "I-is that you?!" No answer was given to him as a long rope went flinging into the pit.

"Grab on, guys!" called a voice this time of a girl's. Ash was confused, but decided first that it would be best to climb out of the trap before he asked any more questions. As he, Dawn, and the Professor began to climb out of the hole, Dawn put on a look of perplexity.

"Hey, Ash?" started Dawn. "Who's this Brock guy?"

"Oh right, you don't know him." realized Ash putting on a sweat drop in the process. "He's just this one guy I've been traveling with up until now. He is a very handy person to tag along with. Not only is he an awesome cook, he's also going to be the world's best Pokemon breeder. I believe he will." Ash smiled as he began to feel as if he was chowing down on one of Brock's gourmet recipes. His mouth began to drool as he imagines the food in his head. It was only after about a minute or so before Professor Rowan intervened.

"Say, um, Ash...could you start climbing again now?" questioned the Professor.

Ash was awakened from his trance. "WHA?! Oh….right." Ash, embarrassed, continued climbing out. He, then, realized he forgot all about Pikachu. His heart began to burn up again as he remembered his little buddy get kidnapped by the fiends, Team Rocket. At the same time though, he was beginning to feel guilty. How could he have just forgotten about his best pal and thought about Brock's cooking instead. This thought enraged him as he continued to climb even faster until he reached back to the surface.

"It's about time you got out of there, Ash." smiled the boy that had helped him.

"No time for hello's now, Brock. Where's Team Rocket?! I have to find Pikachu and Aipom!!" Ash cried out. Then, Ash looked toward the forest. "Nevermind, I'll just go look for them myself."

"Whoa! Hold on Ash!" said Brock as he grabbed one of his shoulders. This wasn't the kind of greeting Brock had been expecting. "Don't worry, Team Rocket won't be going anywhere far."

"How can you be so sure about that?" asked Ash as he tugged Brocks hand of his shoulder.

"We already took care of their balloon. Thanks to this person here." Brock walked over to a girl and put his arm around her. "Ash, I'd like you to meet Claudina. She's the one that took down Team Rocket's balloon."

"Oh! I'm not the one to be receiving the credit, Brock!" said Claudina. "After all, it was my skarmory that did the trick!"

"Skarmory?" asked Ash.

"Why yes!" exclaimed Claudina. "My skarmory ripped through that thing like it was nothing. He should be back any time now with those nasty kidnappers of yours!" Claudina smiled as she looked at the sky to keep an eye out for her skarmory.

"Well, I guess I'll take your word for it…" replied Ash still a little worried about two Pokemon that had been kidnapped. After a while, Dawn came up behind Ash and whispered a question in his ear.

"Ash? Is that guy the Brock that you were talking about?" asked Dawn. Ash just nodded. "And is that his girlfriend or something?"

Ash's eyes widened a bit as he looked at Dawn. "Uh…I don't know…I've never met her until now." Ash sweat dropped. Brock, who had happened to hear the conversation, quickly appeared before the two.

"Are you guys talking about Claudina?" asked Brock not giving them a chance to reply. "We met at Pewter city. It was great!" Brock then put his arm around both Ash and Dawn and turned the other way, so Claudina wouldn't hear. "Alright, we're not together, **yet. **But, I'm planning on taking her out to dinner later. That's when I'll admit my feelings to her!" Brock's voice began to squeal a bit as he jumped with excitement.

"Congratulations then, Brock!" cried Dawn as she smiled.

Ash just sighed. "Uh Dawn, I don't think that would be the best thing to say now. Brock tends to be like this every time he's around a girl his age." Ash sweat dropped once more as Brock continued to dance around in a goofy fashion.

"Uh…okay then." Dawn said as she watched Brock dance. She leaned in closer to Ash so Brock wouldn't hear. "He's sorta freaking me out with his excitement now."

Ash nodded in agreement, but jumped a bit in surprise when Brock suddenly popped up. He put his arm around Ash and again, turned around, so this time Dawn wouldn't hear. "Hey Ash." whispered Brock. "Who's she anyway? Your girlfriend?" Brock pointed at Dawn.

Ash was caught by surprise. "Quiet Brock! She might hear you!" Ash's voiced lowered a bit. "And she's **not **my girlfriend. I met her on my way to Professor Rowan's lab."

"Oh I see." grinned Brock. "Don't worry Ash. I was just messin' with ya."

Ash just put on an angry face.

"But you got to admit." continued Brock. "She is pretty cute isn't she? What's her name?"

Ash turned slightly red. "Her name is Dawn." answered Ash ignoring Brock's first question. "I haven't really gotten to know her. We just happened to bump into each other getting to Professor Rowan. She isn't even traveling with me, so you can just keep the suspicions of yours to yourself, Brock."

Brock just smiled. "_Same old Ash_." He thought. He, then, looked over at Claudina who was happening to be talking with Professor Rowan. He, then, looked up at the sky just in time to see something flying towards their direction. "Hey everyone!" exclaimed Brock. "I think Skarmory's back!" He pointed towards the sky.

Ash just grinned as he was the Skarmory slowly land by the truck with a familiar looking trio in its grasp. "Well, well!" said Claudina. "Look what we have here!"

* * *

Yay! Chapter is finally done! :D What'd ya think? Ya like it? More is to come soon! Until then, see you! I'm glad to be back here again :) Sorry if you see any mistakes and stuff...Oh, and if you want longer chapters, just let me know ;)


	10. A Pokemon Rescue

Alright. Sorry for taking so long to update. After rereading a small portion of my story, I admit that there are some things that I would've changed about it. But, too late for that anyway, so I'll have to make do with what I can. Just wanted to point that out. Now, on with the story!

CHAPTER 9 A POKEMON RESCUE

Team Rocket tried to get away from their dazed expressions. Meowth was the first to speak. "Hey, what just happened back there?"

"I believe we've been poached of the Pokemon we were poaching," answered James as he pointed at the skarmory who was holding a small cage in its beak. Apparently, Team Rocket had placed all of the Pokemon they had stolen into the small metal cage. Skarmory let out a small shriek as it gently placed the cage on the ground while still clutching onto the 3 little bandits with its feet.

Professor Rowan immediately went into his lab to find some tools to free the Pokemon.

"Hey!" Jessie exclaimed. "Those Pokemon belong to us!" She then started to try to escape from the skarmory's grasp. "And let me go! You're grabbing onto me isn't doing wonders at all for my figure!"

James just sighed. "Um Jessie, I don't think now is the time to be worrying about something like that."

Claudina interrupted them. "You three aren't going anywhere until I get some answers!" cried Claudina. She walked over to her skarmory to take a closer look at the 3 thieves. "Now, why on earth were you trying to steal these innocent Pokemon in the first place?"

The 3 members of Team Rocket just remained silent as they looked the other way. It was small while before Jessie spoke. "Who are you to question what we do? This isn't any of your business!"

Claudina just sighed. Obviously, she wasn't going to get anything out of the three, so she just signaled her skarmory to toss them aside. Skarmory obeyed its master as it flew high up above the laboratory still holding onto Team Rocket.

"I don't like the looks of this!" Meowth began to panic. "I'm not too good with heights!"

"But you ride a balloon everyday with us!" shrieked Jessie.

"We might as well just live with what we're going to say next." sighed James.

Before they all could say anything more, Skarmory instantly flew around in small circles gaining speed in a matter of seconds. After a bit, Skarmory, with all of its might, threw Team Rocket as far away as possible sending the trio helplessly through the clear sky.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried the three as they continued to fly sky high until they were no longer visible.



Skarmory, then, flew slowly back down to be with its master. "Thank you very much, Skarmory. You have a good rest now." said Claudina as she let her Pokemon back in its pokeball. She looked over to Ash who was clearly in a state of awe.

"Wow, Claudina. That skarmory of yours looks like it's been through some great training!" exclaimed Ash."We should really battle sometime."

Dawn giggled, "I don't think now is the time Ash." She put a hand on his shoulder to calm his energetic state.

"It's alright Dawn." said Claudina as she walked over to the metal cage."We'll battle later, Ash. Right now, I think we should be concentrating on freeing the Pokemon."

Ash just sweat dropped a little embarrassed. By now, Professor Rowan had gotten his tools and had been in the process of cutting through the metal of the cage. The professor was just about finished until he had noticed something odd. He began to look at the Pokemon in the cage and that's when it hit him. One of the Pokemon was still missing!

"Oh dear." said the professor.

"What is it Professor?" asked Brock.

"Well, in all this excitement, I hadn't noticed that Piplup isn't in this cage." explained Professor Rowan. Everyone gasped and started to enter states of worry. "We better hurry up and find him quickly. He may still be in the forest where Team Rocket's balloon had crashed."

"I'll go get him." volunteered Ash. "With Pikachu and Aipom at my side we'll be back with Piplup in no time." He smiled as both Pikachu and Aipom hopped onto each of his shoulders.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu.

"Ai-aipom!" joined in Aipom.

Dawn looked at Ash with a worrisome face. "_Wh-what if something happens to you Ash?" _thought Dawn. She couldn't bear the thought of some wild Pokemon hurting him. Even if he did have Pikachu and Aipom with him, she still wasn't so sure Ash would turn out okay.

"Right." nodded Professor Rowan."I'm counting on you then Ash. Please bring Piplup back here safely. Meanwhile, I'll be tending to Chimchar and Turtwig of their injuries."

"Right." remarked Ash and with that, he, Pikachu, and Aipom took off to the forest to find Piplup.

Brock, then, spoke up, "I'll be willing to help you with the injuries Professor. I am a breeder after all."

The professor nodded. "Alright." Then he looked at Dawn and Claudina. "If you two don't have anything to do, then I would be grateful to you both if you would also help tend to Chimchar and Turtwig's wounds."



Claudina smiled and nodded. "Alright, Professor. I'll see how I can help." The Professor nodded again as he and Brock took Chimchar and Turtwig back into the laboratory. As Claudina followed, she looked back at Dawn. "You coming to help?" she asked.

Dawn didn't seem to pay any attention as she just stood there gazing towards the direction of which Ash had headed. It looked like she was in deep thought.

Claudina, then, walked over to where Dawn was and asked again in a nice tone. "Hey, are you coming to help?"

Dawn snapped out of her trance as she quickly looked at Claudina. "Wha-…….oh, I'm sorry. I was thinking about something."

"I can tell." replied Claudina.

"Actually," continued Dawn." I think I'll go where Ash went."

Claudine put on a surprised face. "You mean to the forest?"

"Yeah." nodded Dawn.

"Why?" asked Claudina.

"Well, it's sorta hard to explain, but I just think I should. I just have this strong urge to go and help my friend."

Claudina just smiled. "Alright, go on ahead. I'll tell the professor, and I'm sure he'll understand."

"Thank you." replied Dawn as she hurriedly went off towards the forest to where Ash had gone.

--

All seemed very quiet as Ash and his two Pokemon walked carefully through the forest. They were on a look out for the Sinnoh starter Piplup, but unfortunately, they had one little problem…

"We're lost." sighed Ash.

"Piiika…"

"This forest is much bigger than I thought it would be. I have no idea where Team Rocket's balloon could've landed." said Ash. He, with Aipom and Pikachu on his shoulders, continued to walk in a random direction. They kept walking for a couple minutes until they caught sight of something. Unfortunately, it wasn't Piplup nor was it the balloon.

"Hey, what's that?" questioned Ash as he ran over to what seemed to be a small greenish Pokemon. After Ash had a closer look, he realized what it was. "Hey! It's a Spinarak! I haven't seen these guys in a long time."



"Pika! Pikachu!" cried Pikachu.

"Aipom!" joined Aipom.

"Huh?" said Ash as he looked at his two Pokemon. "Oh…you two think I should ask it for directions?" Both Pikachu and Aipom nodded. "Alright." Ash slowly walked over to the lone Spinarak. The Spinarak noticed this and looked over at Ash. It tilted it's head a bit confused as to what Ash was doing.

Ash kneeled down and asked, "Um…hi Spinarak. I was just wondering if you've seen a balloon somewhere here that may have crashed? It's shaped like a big Meowth and has a green basket under it." The Spinarak looked at him for a small second before nodding.

"You have?!" cried Ash. "Can you tell me which way it is?"

"Spinarak!" said the spider Pokemon as it nodded again and pointed the direction of which the Meowth balloon had crashed.

Ash stood back up and said, "Thanks! Come on Pikachu, Aipom. We have a Piplup to save!" But just as Ash was about to take a few steps, a barrage of poisonous needles came hurdling towards him.

"Ai!" cried Ash's Aipom as it pointed towards the direction of where the needles were."

"What Aipom?" asked a confused Ash before he took a look at the direction of which Aipom was pointing. "Waaaa!" he cried as he was barely able to dodge the ferocious attack. "Those are poison stings!"

"Pika!" cried the yellow mouse Pokemon as he tugged Ash. Pikachu was trying to get Ash to look at something.

"What is it Pika-" Ash couldn't finish his sentence, for he was now seeing what Pikachu was tugging him about. Right in front of him were dozens of Ariados all glaring at him in a menacingly way. Ash fell back and froze on the spot. He watched as one of the Ariados had grabbed the Spinarak and started to walk away.

"_Oh I get it now. That Spinarak must have been the Ariados's baby, and they must've thought I was doing something to hurt it."_ thought Ash. _"Well, whether they realize the truth or not, I'm not going to stand here and just get poison stinged."_

Ash stood up and pointed towards the Ariados. "Pikachu! Quick! Use thunderbolt!"

Pikachu smiled as he leaped up in the air and shot a bolt of electricity straight at the Ariados. "Pi-ka-chuuuuuuu!" he cried as he continues to shoot the electric attacks on the enemy.

"Now, Aipom!" continued Ash. "Use swift!"



Aipom obeyed and leapt up in the air as she shot a wave of shimmery stars towards the Ariados. These attacks had caused many of the Ariados to either faint or retreat, but the number of Ariados still didn't seem any smaller. In fact, it looked like there were even more now.

"Pikachu! Aipom!" cried Ash. "Keep attacking then with all you got!" Pikachu and Aipom attacked fiercely and for quite a while, but the Ariados are persistent and refuse to give up.

"Man! No matter how much we attack them, more and more just keep coming! I gotta find a way to get us out of here without getting hurt!" thought Ash.

Ash had to hurry, for the Ariados started to attack now. Ash just stood there as poison needles began to fly towards him. Fortunatley for Ash, Pikachu and Aipom were able to counter the poison stings by sending their own attacks against them. This caused the poison needles to just disappear.

"_Pikachu and Aipom won't be able to keep this up for long. I gotta think!"_ thought Ash.

Ash's Pokemon and the Ariados continued to fight for several minutes. Neither side seemed to be getting the upper hand. But then, something very weird happened. The Ariados all had suddenly stopped shooting. Instead, all the Ariados slowly backed away until they were in the shadows of the trees and bushes being no longer visible. Ash, Pikachu, and Aipom all just looked at the whole scene with extremely puzzled looks.

"That's weird." remarked Ash. "I wonder why all of them suddenly decided to just leave."

"Pika…"

"Ai…"

Ash, then, realized that now was their chance. "Hey Pikachu. Aipom. Let's not stay to find out why. Let's just get out of here before they come back and start-" he was interrupted by something poking his back. Ash panicked and gave a small shout as he quickly turned around to see who was poking him. To his surprise, it was none other than Dawn.

"Before who comes back, Ash?" questioned the curious girl.

"Dawn?!" exclaimed Ash ignoring her question. "Wh-what are you doing here?!"

Dawn just blushed a slight red before answering, "I….I..c..came to make sure you don't get hurt."

Ash just looked at her with a confused expression, "Dawn…I'm not going to get hurt." An awkward silence came between them. Pikachu and Aipom both just shrugged a bit. A small later, Ash spoke again, "Dawn, let's just get out of here and find the Piplup before **they** come back." He pulled her arm to get her to follow.

"Before who?" once again asked Dawn.

But Ash had no time to answer her question, for as soon as Dawn asked, string shot attacks from every direction bursted through the trees and bushes and came hurdling towards them.

* * *

Yeah, a cliffhanger sort of thing I guess. I'm sorry if my writing isn't that great. I tried to make the chapter longer. I hope you still understand what's going on and who's saying what. Thanks for reading thought. Reviews are appreciated Next chapter will be here soon :D


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